It's that time of year again, and we've got you covered on the gift-giving front. This year, we've put together a guide to help you shop local and support Chicago - and more specifically the awesome women, all Forth alum, behind some amazing businesses! We're highlighting a handful of options in our two-part gift guide, with Part One focusing on items for the home - enjoy!

Forth Alum, Sarah Drake, has turned a childhood passion into a full-blown super successful business. Sarah offers everything from linens to fine china to gorgeous bedding in her online shop and uses her design talents to create wedding invitations and custom family crests. Her work continually appears in the press and has been featured in Real Simple and InStyle magazines and is even recommended by design goddess Grace Bonney on Design Sponge.

We love: the collection of thank you notes! They make a perfect gift around holiday times, when people are most likely to pen their gratitude

For your friend who loves to play hostess: The Napoli Vintage placemats and table linens are divine - and can be monogrammed!

Rare Bird Preserves serves up "bliss in a jar" for any foodie on your list. Forth alum Elizabeth Ferguson Madden takes the traditional preserving process and adds a twist with unexpected flavor combinations like Meyer Lemon Rosemary and Peach Lavender. Using the highest quality fruit and fresh ingredients, her passion for preserving is apparent in every jar. Available online

Give the gift of health that keeps on giving all year long! Sugar Beet co-op is offering life-time membership to their community-owned store that will provide convenient access to fresh, local & organic food. Perfect for your friend who loves Michael Pollan's "In Defense of Food."

We love: The Rum Barrel gift box from the Coop which Sugar Beet will sell when they open! The gift box includes the Rum Barrel sauce (enhanced with barrel aged, wild apple cider vinegar), Jalapeño Pork Sticks from Jake’s Country Meats, and a Wild Mary Mix to get your next bloody mary (or tomato soup) started.

Johanna Winter Harper, a Forth alum hailing from London, England, has her own line of whimsical linens -including tea and dish towels - and lovely prints with inspiring sayings available in her Etsy shop.

Mary Bess Ser is a sensational seamstress who uses her talents to whip up everything from cloth napkins to intricate quilts. She's currently working on a variety of cloth napkins that would be the perfect accent to any holiday table setting - visit her site for contact info and check back soon for her creations on her site!

We love the story and mission behind Hand & Cloth, a group of textile enthusiasts who have started a business aimed to empower women through the traditional artisan skills they already possess. During her travels abroad, Forth alum Sarah Aulie, was mesmerized by the unique textiles and blankets sold by women in the markets of Bangladesh. She felt that their beautiful blankets, called Kanthas, needed to be shared with the rest of the world and founded Hand & Cloth in 2007. The non-profit now sells over 80 different blankets (how are we supposed to decide?!) and works exclusively with vendors that provide fair wages for women allowing them to send their children to school.

We love: that when you purchase products from Hand & Cloth, you are protecting women in Bangladesh by providing dignified work. And the color combo in the Table No. 21 would surely brighten up any wintery day

For the office holiday gift exchange: the Kantha stockings - most definitely will be the most creative and thoughtful gift at the party!

Nourishing Notes is an ode and celebration to all things food and has everything from kitchen towels to card sets. Forth alum Julie Morelli takes her passion for "design, writing, printing and baguette baking" with her co-founder Andy Schwegler to bring you punny greeting cards, unique kitchen towels, aprons, totes and prints perfect for your kitchen. We love all the clever spins that Nourishing Notes puts on standard kitchen products and think you will too!

Forth is a quarterly seasonal salon in Chicago designed to connect creative, entrepreneurial women and give them the time and space to talk. Forth is also a community and a resource—powered by and championing our incredible members—offering panels, workshops, gatherings and all manner of good things.